Anti-Inflammatory Effect of a TCM Formula Li-Ru-Kang in Rats With Hyperplasia of Mammary Gland and the Underlying Biological Mechanisms

Hemin protects against cell stress induced by estrogen and progesterone in rat mammary glands via modulation of Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-κB pathways

Mammary gland hyperplasia is one of the risk factors for breast cancer. Till date, there is no study that has addressed the effect of hemin in this condition. Thus, this study was designed to evaluate the effect of the heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) inducer (hemin) and its inhibitor (zinc protoporphyrin-IX) (ZnPP-IX) on mammary gland hyperplasia (MGH) induced by estrogen and progesterone in adult albino rats. Forty adult female albino rats were divided into the control group, MGH group, MGH + Hemin group, and MGH + Hemin + ZnPP-IX group. Serum levels of estradiol and progesterone were measured. Breast tissues were taken for estimation of oxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic markers. Mammary gland histology was performed, and expression of Ki-67, Beclin, and P53 in breast tissue was also measured. Estrogen and progesterone administration induced hyperplasia of cells lining the ducts of the breast tissues associated with increased diameter and height of the nipples as well as increased oxidative stress markers, inflammatory markers, antiapoptotic markers, and cell autophagy. Hemin administration during induction of MGH can reverse all the affected parameters. Then, these effects were abolished by ZnPP-IX administration. We concluded that hemin administration can antagonize the cell stress induced by estrogen and progesterone and protect against the development of mammary gland hyperplasia via modulation of Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-κB pathways.

Pharmacodynamic structure of deer antler base protein and its mammary gland hyperplasia inhibition mechanism by mediating Raf-1/MEK/ERK signaling pathway activation

Mammary gland hyperplasia (MGH) is a common mammary disease whose main pathogenesis is the disruption of estradiol (E₂) and progesterone (P) secretion, thereby causing overproliferation of mammary epithelial cells and mammary gland tissue hyperplasia. Deer antler base is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been used for many years to treat MGH. However, its pharmacological mechanism and pharmacodynamic material basis are unclear. In this study, we for the first time used the graded salting method to classify deer antler base protein (CNCP) as CNCP-A, CNCP-B, and CNCP-C and explored the pharmacological mechanism of the anti-MGH properties of CNCP. We found that CNCP could regulate the hormonal levels of E₂, P, and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and improve the histopathological condition. The potential mechanism might be related to the recombinant C-Raf proto oncogene serine/threonine protein kinase/mitogen-activated protein/extracellular regulated protein kinase (Raf-1/MEK/ERK) signaling pathway. By upregulating the protein expression of the follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and protein kinase A (PKA) inhibited the activation of the downstream Raf-1/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, which in turn inhibited the proliferation of mammary epithelial cells. We analyzed the physicochemical properties of CNCP-A, CNCP-B, and CNCP-C and obtained CNCP-C-I by column chromatographic purification of the best pharmacophore protein CNCP. Using high-performance liquid gel filtration chromatography (HPGFC), we determined the molecular weight of CNCP-C-I and identified it by high-performance liquid tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to obtain the first match for a high confidence protein KRT1. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development of effective traditional Chinese medicines with low toxicity levels for the prevention and treatment of mammary gland diseases.

α-Cyperone ameliorates depression in mammary gland hyperplasia and chronic unpredictable mild stress rat by regulating hormone, inflammation, and oxidative stress

BACKGROUND

Hyperplasia of mammary gland (HMG) is caused by endocrine disorders, and patients are prone to anxiety and depression. α-Cyperone has a variety of pharmacological activities including antidepressant. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect and its possible mechanism of α-Cyperone on HMG-associated depression rats.

METHODS

The depression model was constructed using chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), while the HMG model was induced by estrogen, with or without α-Cyperone intervention. The effect of α-Cyperone on the depression-like phenotype of model rats was measured by sucrose preference test (SPT), forced swim test (FST), and open field test (OFT). Dendritic spines density in ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) neurons was evaluated by Golgi staining. The second pair of nipple height, diameter, organ index, and oxidative stress-related factors were analyzed. Serum sex hormone concentration, histopathological changes, inflammatory factor expression, and p65 were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, real-time quantitative PCR and western blot, respectively.

RESULTS

The sucrose preference rate, dendritic spine density decreased, and immobility time increased in CUMS rats; α-Cyperone reversed the effect of CUMS on depression-like behavior and dendritic spine density in rats. α-Cyperone reduced nipple height and diameter, uterine index, estradiol concentration, increased ovary, thymus, spleen index, progesterone, and testosterone concentration, relieved pathological damage, oxidative stress, depression-like behavior, and inflammatory reaction in HMG combine CUMS rats. In addition, α-Cyperone inhibited the phosphorylation of p65 in HMG and CUMS rats.

CONCLUSIONS

α-Cyperone has an effective therapeutic effect on HMG combined with CUMS rats.

Dose-Dependent Effects of Royal Jelly on Estrogen- and Progesterone-Induced Mammary Gland Hyperplasia in Rats

SCOPE

Royal jelly (RJ) has a wide range of biological functions, its effect on hyperplasia of the mammary gland (HMG) in mammals is unclear. This study aims to investigate the effect of RJ on HMG and the dose-response relationship of RJ in the treatment of HMG.

METHODS AND RESULTS

HMG rats are induced by intramuscular injection of estrogen (E2) and progesterone, and are treated with different doses of RJ (100, 200, 400, and 800 mg kg^-1 d^-1 ). As a result, RJ improves the expansion of acinar and breast tissue ducts, particularly at 100 and 800 mg kg^-1 d^-1 . These two doses also inhibit serum E2 and prolactin (PRL) secretion and increase serum progesterone secretion and the expression of estrogen receptor (ER)-β in the breast tissue. In addition, 800 mg kg^-1 d^-1 decrease and increase the mRNA expression of, respectively, hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and pituitary GnRH receptors (GnRH-R). The lowest dosage (100 mg kg^-1 d^-1 ) increases GnRH-R mRNA expression as well. However, the effects of 200 and 400 mg kg^-1 d^-1 RJ on the reproductive parameters of HMG are not significant, implying a dose-dependent effect.

CONCLUSION

RJ regulates endocrine dyscrasia in HMG rats and improves the breast tissue structure, indicating its potential in the prevention and treatment on HMG.

Protective effects and possible mechanisms of Centella asiatica (L.) urban extract against acute and chronic liver injury: Evidence from in vivo and in vitro studies

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) has become a significant health care problem worldwide. Centella asiatica (L.) urban was traditionally used to prevent or treat various diseases, yet whether it works on hepatic injury remains unclear. In this study, multiple experimental models with different damage degrees and types of liver injury have been established to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of an n-butanol extract of Centella asiatica (CA-BU). Our results revealed that CA-BU improved hepatocyte L02 cells survival from H2 O2 -induced oxidative damage in a concentration-dependent manner. We further verified the hepatoprotective effects of CA-BU in mice models of acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury (one of the most common DILIs clinically) and CCl4 -induced acute chemical liver injury, and a rat model of chronic alcoholic steatohepatitis. Furthermore, network pharmacology approaches were performed to explore the underlying mechanisms, and we predicted AKT1, EGFR, VEGFA, and STAT3 as the potential therapeutic targets. In follow-up studies, we will focus on targets verification and provide a deeper insight into the mechanisms of CA-BU against liver damage. Finally, we hope that these findings will provide new ideas and insights for the treatment of acute or chronic liver injury in the clinic.

Chinese Medicine Huzhen Tongfeng Formula Effectively Attenuates Gouty Arthritis by Inhibiting Arachidonic Acid Metabolism and Inflammatory Mediators

The Chinese herbal medicine, Huzhen Tongfeng Formula (HZTF), derived from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practice, has recognized therapeutic benefits for gouty arthritis (GA). HZTF is currently in the late stage of approval process as a new anti-GA drug application. However, the underlying mechanism of HZTF as an antigout medication is unclear. In this study, we combined network pharmacology and experimental validation approaches to elucidate the mechanism of action of HZTF. First, the relative drug-disease target networks were constructed and analyzed for pathway enrichment. Potential pathways were then validated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. We found that 34 compounds from HZTF matched 181 potential drug targets. Topology analysis revealed 77 core targets of HZTF, which were highly related to gout, following screening of KEGG pathway enrichment. Further analysis demonstrated that the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway was the most relevant pathway involved in the mechanism of HZTF. Validation experiments showed that HZTF significantly inhibited the inflammatory cell infiltration into gouty joints, improved the swelling of affected joints, and increased the pain threshold. HZTF significantly reduced the transcription and production of various cytokines and inflammatory mediators in vitro. In particular, cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, COX-2, and 5-lipoxygenase were simultaneously downregulated. In conclusion, our study suggests that the antigout mechanism of HZTF is associated with the inhibition of the arachidonic acid pathway, resulting in the suppression of inflammatory cytokines and mediators. These findings extend our understanding of the pharmacological action of HZTF, rationalizing the application HZTF as an effective herbal therapy for GA.

Discovery of the possible mechanisms in kouyanqing granule for treatment of oral ulcers based on network pharmacology

Background

Oral ulcer diseases are complex inflammatory diseases caused by multi-factors, which severely impact patient quality of life. Kouyanqing Granule (KYQG) has been used to treat inflammatory diseases of the mouth and throat, including recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), traumatic ulcers, oral leukoplakia and so on. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of KYQG in treating these diseases are still unclear. We aimed to explore the possible mechanisms in KYQG for the treatment of oral ulcers.

Methods

An innovative network pharmacology method was established by incorporating targets searching and fishing, network analysis, and silico validation to discover the pharmacological mechanisms of action of KYQG for the treatment of oral ulcers. Then, we verified the reliability of this method by an animal experiment.

Results

Our data indicated that a total of 47 key targets were screened, which mainly involved in three function modules including the inhibition of inflammation, the regulation of immunological response, and the suppression of oxidative stress. The implementation of these functions relies on the complex multi-pathways network, especially TNF signaling pathway and HIF-1 signaling pathway. The results of the experimental verification indicated that KYQG significantly inhibited the serum levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in rats with oral ulcer.

Conclusion

KYQG exhibited the therapeutic effects on oral ulcers probably by inhibiting inflammation, regulating immunological response, and suppressing oxidative stress through a complex multi-pathways network. Particularly, TNF signaling pathway and HIF-1 signaling pathway may play crucial roles in the protection of KYQG against oral ulcers. This work not only offers a method for understanding the functional mechanisms of KYQG for treating oral ulcer diseases from a multi-scale perspective but also may provide an efficient way for research and development of complex composition formula.